Double twist spindles



Feb. 17, 1959 P. SAGE 2,873,570

DOUBLE TWIST SPINDLES Filed April 4, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 P IN VEN TOR.

Feb. 17, 1959 P. SAGE 2,873,570

DOUBLE TWIST SPINDLES Filed April 4, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent DOUBLE TWIST SPI'NDLES Paul Sage, Caluire, France, assignor to Societe a responsabilite lilnitce: Societe des Mecaniques Verdol, Lyon, France, a limited-liability company of France Application April 4, 1957, Serial No. 650,781

Claims priority, application France April 12, 1956 6 Claims. (Cl. 57-5852) This invention relates to twisting spindles wherein the yarn is imparted two turns at each revolution of the spindle.

In these double twist spindles the supply bobbin of the spindle is generally immovable, the yarn entering the upper end of the tubular rotating shaft of the spindle and issuing therefrom laterally below the said bobbin to be returned upwardly above the latter. The yarn thus rotates around the bobbin which cannot be directly carried by a fixed support and should therefore be rotatably supported by the rotating parts and prevented from rotating therewith. In a known device this is obtained by mounting the bobbin on an auxiliary support which is rotatably mounted on the upper part of the rotating shaft of the spindle, and also on the upper part 'of' an outer rotating member disposed around the said shaft and in parallel but non-coaxial relation therewith. With such an arrangement the auxiliary support is mounted about two parallel but different geometrical axes and is therefore positively prevented from rotating, while the outer member may be formed with an appropriate opening to permit passage of the yarn issuing from the inner bore of the said shaft below the bobbin.

In such an arrangement the outer member should of course rotate in unison with the spindle shaft. This has generally been obtained by securing on the said shaft a tubular arm through which the yarn is passed, the said arm being slidably engaged through an opening of the outer member which is thus positively driven by the arm. But it is easy to verify that owing to the non-coaxial disposition of the outer member with respect to the spindle shaft the tubular arm'engages the said member at a variable distance from the axis of the shaft, which results in a variable angular velocity being imparted to the outer member, whereby the latter causes vibration of thespindle. It has beenproposed to avoid this inconveni ence by connecting the tubular arm withthe outer member by means of a spring which forms an elastic coupling between both parts, but at. certain rotational speeds of the spindle there may exist a resonance etiect between the pulses imparted to the spring by the tubular arm owing to the non-coaxial arrangement, and the oscillatory system formed by the outer memberand the spring,

and, at such speeds the outer member oscillates with a very large amplitude, which causes severe vibration and spect to the spindle shaft.

In a preferred embodiment of this invention' such a joint comprises an intermediate member pivoted about an axis situated in the plane of the axes of the'spindle shaft and of the outer member, midway of these latter axes, the said intermediate member being formed with two opposed bifurcated arms which engage respectively a pin carried by the spindle shaft and a pin carried by the outer member, the effective radii of such pins with respect to the corresponding rotational axes of the spindle shaft and of the outer member being equal.

In the annexed drawings:

Fig. 1 is a general vertical section of a double twist spindle according to this invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section thereof taken along line II-II of Fig. 1. t

Fig. 3 is a very diagrammatical representation of the homokinetic joint interposed between the spindle shaft and the outer rotating member in the spindle of Figs. 1 and 2.

Figs. 4 to 6 illustrate other embodiments of such a homokinetic joint.

,In' Fig. 1 reference numeral 1 designates a supporting iron on which a tubular column .2 is secured 'by means of bolts such as 3. In the lower end of column 2 there is arranged a ball bearing 4 which supports a spindle shaft 5. The lower end of shaft 5 carries a driving pulley 6, immediately below support 1 while its upper end,

which is tubular as shown, projects well above column 2. The upper end of the latter is provided with a ring 7 which forms a centering bearing for shaft 5. The rotational axis of shaft 5 has been referenced O.

The outer cylindrical periphery of the tubular column 2 is :not co-axial to the inner bore thereof, its axis P being parallel to, but slightly spaced from the aboveanentioned axis 0. This periphery carries two ball bearings 8 and 9 which rotatably support a drum member 10 which is flanged at its upper end, as indicated at 10a. On this flanged portion ltla are secured four hexagonal rods 11 (Fig. 2) which extend vertically and which support an upper rotating plate 12 (Fig. 1). It will be readily understood that drum 10, rods 11 and plate 12 form; a rigid unit, or outer rotating member, which is disposed to rotate about the aforesaid axis P, i. e. WLiCh is offset with respect to the spindle shaft .5.

The upper portion of the spindle shaft 5 situated above the upper end of the tubular column 2 carries two ball bearings 13 and 14 which support an intermediate support 15 adapted tocarry the yarn package or bobbin 16, thesaid intermediate support having for this purpose .a fiangedupper end 15a on which a plate .17 is secured by means of bolts 18, and the said plate 17. .beingformed xwith an upward tubular extension 17a on which the bob- -.bi n 16is mounted. A cup-shaped member 19 is prefer- The homokinetic joint employed may be of any kind.

ably interposed between plate=17 and the flanged upper end 15a of the intermediate support 15. The intermediate support. 15 has a cylindrical downward extension 15b which is. non-coaxial to the ball bearings 13 and 1.

.the distance between the axis Q of the said extension 15b and the axis of the said bearings 13 and14, he the -axis 0 .of the spindle shaft 5, being exactly'equal to equal to the distance between axes P and 0, his possible to rotate the intermediate support 15 about" the spindle shaft 5 until the axis Q of the said intermediate support isin line with the axis P oftheouteruiember 10 1 1 12.

itself prevented from rotating with either shaft 5 or plate 12.

The outer cylindrical surface of the upper end of the lower tubular column 2 is slightly offset with respect to 'the remainder of the periphery of the said column, its

axisR being situated in the plane of axes O and P, midway of the latter axes. This upper end carries a ball hearing 21 which in turn supports a ring 22 formed with two opposed bi-furcated projections 22a (Fig. 2) which engage respectively a small roller 23 (Fig. l) loose on a pin 24 secured to the upper flanged portion a of the drum member 10 by a nut 25,'and a small roller 26 loose on a pin 27 secured by a nut 28 on a plate 29 keyed on shaft 5 in the portion thereof comprised between the upper end of column 2 and the lower end of the lower boss b of the intermediate support 15, the respective radial distances of pins 24 and 27 from their rotational axes P and 0 being equal.

Ring 22 forms a driving connection between the spindle shaft 5 and the outer member 101112 since, as clearly indicated in the diagrammatical representation of Fig. 3, when pin 27 rotates together with shaft 5 about the axis 0 thereof, it drives the corresponding bi-furcated portion 22a, that is ring 22 itself, which rotates about axis R, the other bi-furcated portion 22a of the said ring in turn driving pin 24 which rotates about axis P together with the outer member 1t)1112. The Whole arrangement being always symmetrical with respect to axis R, the angular displacements of pins 27 and 24 are always equal, which amounts to say that the connection between shaft 5 and the outer member 10-11-12 is a homokinetic joint. The outer member thus rotates at a perfectly constant angular velocity, without causing any vibration. It should however be remarked that the angular velocity of ring 22 is not regular, since the radial distance between the axis R of this ring and pins 24 and 27 varies. But this variation is small, since it only corresponds to the distance PR or R0, i. e. half the distance between the axis P of the outer member and the axis 0 of the spindle shaft. Moreover ring 22 is a very small part of reduced weight and this minor irregularity of its angular velocity has no practical influence on the operation of the spindle.

The yarn 30 to be twisted is unwound from the package or bobbin 16 and enters the upper end of the tubular extension 17a from which it passes axially into the upper bore 5a of shaft 5. The lower end of bore 5a is connected by a b cnt'passage 5b with a radial bore 29a formed in plate 29. Thence the yarn 30 passes through a guiding eyelet 31 carried by the flanged lower end 32a of an annular member 32 secured to the upper face of plate 29 and adapted to form a protecting casing around the lower end of the intermediate support 15. From the eyelet31 the yarn is drawn upwardly in the conventional in pins 124 and 127 respectively carried by the outer member and the spindle shaft at equal distance from their respective axes, are connected by a connecting rod 33 which has an effective length equal to the distance be- 1 tween the axes O and P of the spindle shaft and of the outer member. The circular paths of pins 124 and 127 have been referenced respectively 110 and 129, the first one corresponding to the drum member 10 of Fig. l, the second to plate member 29. Here also both pins rotate exactly at the same angular velocity about their respec 'tive axes P and O. Of course a single connecting (rod would have two dead centres at which the said'rod is prising a fixed support; a spindle shaft rotatably carried disposed radially with respect to both axes 0 and P and is therefore ineffective, which results in hard points" in the drive of the outer member by the spindle shaft. But this inconvenience may be easily avoided by providing a plurality of connecting rods, for instance three as illustrated in Fig. 4 wherein such additional connecting rods have been respectively referenced 133 and 233.

It may be observed that with a plurality of connecting rods each one may only be operative in a given direction, as for instance for exerting a tractive effort. The connecting rods of Fig. 4 may therefore be replaced by the virtual connecting rods of Fig. 5 wherein each pin 124 of the outer member engages the inner periphery of a ring 34 secured to the spindle shaft (or to a plate member keyed on the latter), such ring having its centre at a radial distance from the axis 0 of the shaft equal to the radial distance of the pin 124 fromits own axis P and the inner radius of the said ring being equal to the distance between axes O and P plus the radius of pin 124. Under such conditions it is easy to verify that the distance a between the centre of ring 34 and the centre of pin 124 is equal to the length of the connecting rod 33 of Fig. 4. In other words when ring 34 pushes pin 124 the said distance a constitutes a virtual connecting rod. Of course ring 34 cannot push pin 124 along the whole circular path of the latter, but owing to the plurality of pins and rings, there is always at least one ring and its associated pin in proper position for ensuring the homokinetic drive.

Fig. 6 illustrates another modification'wherein a single connecting rod 33 is solid with an arm 35 disposed sub- .stantially at right angles thereto, the ends of the said arm being pivotally attached to two radial arms 36 and 37 adapted to form a parallelogram. In the example illustrated arm 36 is pivoted to pin 127 and is rotatable about axis 0, while arm 37, equal in length to arm 36, is pivoted about an individual axis S. It is besides easy to understand. that arm 36 is purely virtual and may be dispensed with in actual practice, since pin 127 is already pivotally connected with axis 0 by means of plate 29 of Fig. 1.

I claim:

1. A double twist spindle for yarns and the like comprising a fixed support; a spindle shaft rotatably carried by said fixed support to rotate about its own axis, said .spindle shaft being formed with a yarn passage extending from the upper end thereof to a point of the periphery of said shaft spaced from said upper end; a hollow outer member surrounding the portion of said spindle shaft comprising the lower end of said yarn passage, said outer member being rotatably carried by said fixed support to rotate about an axis'substantially parallel to, but slightly spaced from the axis of said spindle shaft, and said member being laterally apertured for passage of the yarn issuing from the lower end of said yarn passage; an intermovements of said spindle shaft and of said outer memyarn to be twisted; and a rigid homokinetic joint interposed between said spindle shaft and said outer member to cause said member to rotate in unison with said shaft.

2. A double twist spindle for yarns and the like commember surrounding the portion of said spindle shaft comprising file lower end of said yarn passage, said outer member being rotatahly carried by said fixed support I ,torotate about an axis substantially. parallel to, but slight- Iy spaced from the axis of said spindle shaft, and said member being laterally apertured for passage of the yarn issuing from the lower end of said yarn passage; an intermediate support rotatably mounted on said spindle shaft about the axis of said shaft and also rotatably mounted on said outer member about the axis of said member, so as to remain immovable irrespective of the rotational movements of said spindle shaft and of said outer member, said intermediate support being adapted to carry the yarn to be twisted; and a homokinetic joint interposed between said spindle shaft and said outer member to cause said member to rotate in unison with said shaft, said homokinetic joint comprising a first substantially cylindrical vertical pin rotatably carried by said spindle shaft at a radial distance from the axis of said shaft; a second substantially cylindrical vertical pin carried by said outer member at a radial distance from the axis or" said member equal to said first-named radial distance; and a connecting member rotatably carried by said fixed support to rotate about an axis disposed in the plane of the axes of said shaft and of said outer member, parallel to said latter axes and midway between same, said connecting member being formed with two diametrically opposed outwardly directed bi-furcated portions respectively engaging said first and said second pins.

3. A double twist spindle for yarns and the like comprising a fixed supporting column; a spindle shaft rotatably carried by said fixed column to rotate about its own axis, said shaft being formed with a yarn passage extending from the upper end thereof to a point of the periphery of said shaft spaced from said upper end; a drum member rotatably mounted on the periphery of said fixed column to rotate about an axis substantially parallel to, but slightly spaced from the axis of said spindle shaft, said drum member being disposed below the lower end of said yarn passage; an upper annular member disposed above said drum member in co-axial and spaced relation therewith; means to connect said upper annular member with said drum member to cause same to form a single substantially rigid outer unit, said means leaving a lateral passage for the yarn issuing from the lower end of the yarn passage of said shaft; an intermediate support mounted on the upper end of said spindle shaft above said annular member so as to rotate relatively to said spindle shaft about the axis thereof, and also mounted on said annular member so as to rotate relatively to said member about the axis thereof, said intermediate support being thus retained stationary irrespective of the rotational movements of said spindle shaft and of said annular member, and said intermediate support being adapted to carry the yarn to be twisted; and a homokinetic joint interposed between said spindle shaft and the outer unit formed by said annular member and said drum member to cause said unit to rotate in unison with said shaft.

4. In a double twist spindle as claimed in claim 3, said homokinetic joint comprising a plate member keyed on said spindle shaft substantially between said drum member and said annular member, said plate member being formed to permit passage of the yarn issuing from the lower end of the yarn passage of said shaft; a first substantially cylindrical vertical pin carried by the lower side of said plate member at a radial distance from the axis of said shaft; a second substantially cylindrical vertical pin carried by the upper end of said drum member at a radial distance from the axis of said drum member equal to said first-named radial distance; and a connect ing member rotatably carried by the upper end of said fixed column to rotate about an axis disposed in the plane of the axes of said shaft and of said drum member, parallel to said latter axes and midway between same, said connecting member being formed with two diametrically opposed outwardly directed bi-furcated portions respectively engaging said first and said second pins.

5. In a double twist spindle as claimed in claim 3, said connectmg means being formed of substantially vertical stays spaced from each other and having their lower ends secured to the upper end of said drum member and their upper ends secured to the lower side of said annular member; and said spindle shaft carrying a plate member disposed between said drum member and said annular member, said plate member extending radially beyond said stays, but being formed with holes for passage of same with a clearance at least equal to the distance between the axis of said spindle shaft and the axis of said drum member.

6. In a double twist spindle as claimed in claim 3, said connecting means being formed of substantially vertical stays spaced from each other and having their lower ends secured to the upper end of said drum member and their upper ends secured to the lower side of said annular member; and said spindle shaft carrying a plate member disposed between said drum member and said annular member, said plate member extending radially beyond said stays, but being formed with holes for passage of same with a clearance at least equal to the distance between the axis of said spindle shaft and the axis of said drum member, and said plate member being formed with a radial yarn passage registering with the lower end of the yarn passage of said spindle shaft.

References Cited in the file of this: patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,521,601 Planet Sept. 5, 1950 

